2. It is immortal ; it doth never expire. It can act without the body ; though the body dissolve into dust, the soul lives, Luke xii. 1. The essence of the soul is e- tenial, it hath a beginning, l)ut no end ; it is a blossom of eternity. Sure, then, if the s«)ul be so ennobled and dignified, more care should be taken ahout the soid than the body. M'e make l)ut one petition for the body, l)ut two ])etitions lor the soul.
Lsc 1. It re])roves them that take more care for their bodies, than their souls. The body is but the hrutisli part, yet they lake more care, \st. About dressing their bodies, than their souls. They put on the best
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OF THE FIFTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
clotliCR, are dressed in the richest garb, but care not how naked or undrest tlieir souls are ; they do not get the jewels of grace, to adorn their inner-man. 2(7, About feeding their bodies, than their souls ; tliey are ca- terers for the flesh, they do make ])rovision for the flesh, Rom. xiii. 14., they have the best diet, but let their souls starve ; as if one should feed his hawk, but let his child starve. Tlie body must sit in the chair of state, but the soul — that princely thing, — is made a lackey to run on the devil's er- rand.
Use 2. Let us be more careful for our gouls. — Omnia si perdas animain servare me- mento. If it be well with the soul, it shall be well with the body ; if the soul be gra- cious, the body shall be glorious, for it shall shine like Christ's body. Therefore it is wisdom to look chiefly to the soul, because in saving the soul, we secure the happiness of the body. And we cannot shew our care for the soul more than in taking all seasons for our souls; reading, praying, hearing, meditating. O look to the main chance, — let the soul be chiefly tended ! The loss of the soul would be fatal ; other losses may be made up again. If one los- eth his health, he may recover it again ; if he lose his estate, he may make it up again ; but if he lose his soul, this loss can never be made up again. The merchant that ven- tures all he hath in one ship, if that ship be lost, he is quite broken.
2<i. From the connexion in the text, as soon as Christ had said, give us " daily bread," he adds, " and forgive us." Clirist joins this petition of forgiveness of sin, im- mediately to the other of daily bread, to shew us, that though we have daily bread, yet all is nothing witliout forgiveness. If our sins be not pardoned, we can take but little comfort in our food. As it is with a man that is condemned, though you bring him meat in prison, yet he takes little com- fort in it without a pardon : so, though we have daily bread, yet it will do us no good unless sin be forgiven. What though we should have manna which was called an- gels' food, — though the rock shoidd pour out rivers of oil, Job xxix. 6., — all is no- thing unless sin be done away. Wlicn Christ had said, " Give us our daily bread,"
he presently adds, and " forgive us our tres- passes." Daily bread may satisfy the aj)pe- tite, but forgiveness of sin satisfies the con- science.
tZse 1. It condems the folly of most peo- ple : if they have daily bread, the delicious things of this life, they look no furtlier, they are not solicitous for the pardon of sin ; if they have that which feeds them, they look not after that which should crown them. Alas ! you may have daily bread, and yet perish. The rich man in the gos- pel had daily bread, nay, he had dainties, he fared " sumptuously every day," but in " hell he lift up his eyes," Luke xvi. 19, 23.
Use 2. Let us pray, that God would not give us our portion in this life, that he would not put us oif with daily bread, but that he would give forgiveness. This is the sauce that would make our bread relish the sweeter. A speech of Luther, valde proteS" tatiis sum me nolle sic satiari ah illo^ — ' I did seleJlinly protest, that God should not put nie off with outward things.' Be not con- tent with that which is common to the brute creatures, the dog or elephant, to have your hunger satisfied ; but, besides daily bread, get pardon of sin. A drop of Christ's blood, or a dram of forgiving mercy, is in- finitely more valuable than all the delights under the sun. Daily bread may make us live comfortably, but forgiveness of sin will make us die comfortably. So I come to the words of the petition, " forgive us our debts," &c.
\sL Here is a term given to sin, it is a debt. 2d. The confessing the debt, " our debts." M. A prayei-, " forgive us." Ath. A condition on which we desire forgive- ness, " as we forgive our debtors."
First, I shall speak of the term given to sin, it is a debt. That which is here called a debt, is called sin, Luke xi. 4., " Forgive us our sins." So then sin is a debt, and e- very sinner is a debtor. Sin is compared to a debt of " ten thousand talents," Mat. xviii. 24.